I have loved you always
by ravenwritingclaw
Summary: Dan and Blair and Nate and Serena are meant to be, as far as I'm concerned, and these 100 prompts will reflect that! I can't guarantee I'll stick close to canon, but if you're a fan of Dair, I don't think this will bother you in terms of the last season. READ/REVIEW
1. Dan - Dance

**Author's Note:** I don't know why I've never written a prompt series for Gossip Girl, seeing as I loved the show before they ruined Blair's character and crushed my Dan/Blair dreams. This series likely won't stick closely to canon, but you will get lots of Dan/Blair and Nate/Serena! Feel free to leave a review.

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**Dance**

"Were you born with two left feet, Humphrey?" Blair Waldorf snapped.

Dan Humphrey sighed as he spun the woman around the glittering ballroom. "You know I dance perfectly fine," he countered. His girlfriend peered over his shoulder into the crowded room. He didn't know why they bothered attending this charity event in the first place. Blair rarely accepted invitations on behalf of her mother, but she seemed to have something to prove that night.

Problem was, she had been on edge all night. Dan couldn't figure it out. When they were getting ready at her place, everything was fine. She fixed his tie, he zipped up the back of her dress, hell she even helped him _save_ (although his scruff wasn't nearly as bad as she claimed it to be).

In the limo she started to fidget and by the time they grabbed their champagne she was snapping at him like she did in high school. Her old venom came out and, although its bite stung less, he still couldn't figure out why she was acting like this.

As the song ended, Dan caught sight of the problem. Chuck Bass had two blonde beauties hanging off his arm in the corner. He didn't seem to have noticed them yet. Dan tightened his grip on Blair, placing his hand firmly against her lower back.

"When did you find out?" he murmured into her ear as they transitioned into the next song.

"In the limo," she replied, dark eyes downcast. "Serena texted me."

Dan glanced up and tried not to glare at the man. "We can go, if you want. I'm sure the tabloids have enough shots of us."

Blair shook her head. "I'm not going to let him chase me out of every event. He doesn't get to control me anymore."

There was the Blair he knew. Dan smiled and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "If you insist." They focused back on their dancing.

"Humphrey, I swear to God if you step on my new shoes one more time-" Dan rolled his eyes, trying not to laugh.


	2. Nate - Treat

**Treat **

Serene van der Woodsen was easy to buy for. Anything chocolate and Nate Archibald was golden until he screwed up again. As he held onto the huge box of dark chocolate (with a variety of filling), he wondered why she made him so flustered. He hadn't even been this bad in his awkward teen years with Blair.

Like last night. Granted, he probably should have just kissed her instead of answering her "do these _ make me look fat" question. All he seemed to do was stick his foot in his mouth. His wallet was becoming considerably lighter thanks to his fuck-ups.

The elevator dinged and Nate stepped out. He ran a hand through his messy hair and tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. Serena kicked him out early that morning, miffed at him for his stupid answer, and he hadn't slept much since. Rather, he hadn't slept at all.

How did a girl keep him on a leash like this? God, if Chuck could see him now . . . Nate shook his head and climbed the stairs to Serena's bedroom. That was the nice thing about dating Serena. Her mom was rarely around which meant no awkward conversations when he was sneaking out (or sneaking in) at all hours of the morning.

He stopped short in front of the white wooden door and gave a quick knock. He smelt his breath (minty fresh) just as Serena opened the door.

She still smelt of his cologne. Her eyes were half-shut and he guessed from her tousled hair he just woke her up. Hoping to soften the blow, he raised the chocolates to her line of vision.

"You never look fat in anything."

Serena tried not to smile. The corner of her lip quirked up and she bit it down. "I will if you keep getting me these chocolates."

Nate shrugged. "I can start getting you diamonds, but then you'll need to let me work more."

She giggled, tucking her chin down so he couldn't see her bright blue eyes. "Chocolate's fine." She took the box then snuck a glance at him. "You comin' in?" Apparently she had yet to notice he was in a suit, ready for work. Or she did, and she just didn't care.

Nate tried to come up an excuse to tell his boss as she leaned up on her tip toes to kiss him. He exhaled into their embrace, picking her up off the ground as the door bumped against the wall. She wrapped her bare legs around his waist and he caught her giggles between kisses.

The chocolates lay forgotten outside the bedroom.


	3. Blair - Sand

**Sand**

Blair scowled at her floral bikini. "How does sand manage to get _everywhere_ when you go on vacation?"

Serena shrugged as she took a sip of her margarita. "Magic," she said with a wink.

Her best friend rolled her eyes. Underneath their umbrella, Blair had the perfect view of Nate and Dan attempting to play volleyball with a few other guys. Dragging the girls from bed at seven, they insisted they participate in this silly tournament the resort was holding. Blair humoured Dan, at least until lunch. Serena, having been ogled all afternoon, was more than happy to escape for a day at the spa. It was almost dinner and the boys were still playing.

Serena handed Blair a platter of dainties. "Eat. You get pouty when you're hungry."

Blair jutted out her lower lip. "I do not." She grabbed one of the sandwiches.

"You've been this way since we were kids," she laughed. Nate shouted a profanity in Spanish. Blair smirked.

"Apparently their luck is running out."

Blair didn't much care one way or another. This vacation was what Dan needed, not her. He had been cooped up in his (their) office for weeks working on his latest book. Before the vacation, he started to get a little wiry. And by wiry, she meant 12 cups of coffee were a norm. He didn't forget about her (she would never let him) but his schedule kept him . . . occupied.

She had him all to herself now, she thought with a smile. Dan was happy, like before. He was laughing again. She drew her legs up on the chair and sighed. If only they could stay in Mexico a few more weeks.

Serena poked her tan leg. "What are you thinking about?"

Blair shrugged. "Just about Dan. Did he ever get, you know, obsessed?"

Her best friend nodded. "Yeah. It's just who he is. You get that way too."

Blair's brow furrowed. "I do not!"

"Yes, you do! You both get so obsessed with your work. I mean it was like pulling teeth to get you to take time off. I bet you hadn't even watched any of your weird French movies before coming out here."

Blair refused to humour Serena's notion. All the same, it _had_ been a few weeks since they curled up under the covers and put a movie on . . .

Dan spiked the ball over the net and, with a final shout, the boys won the last match of the day. Blair scrunched up her nose as her boyfriend did that weird chest bump thing with Nate. Serena was already off her chair, skipping over to Nate. Blair reclined back on her chair and waited for her sweaty boy flopped down beside her. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath.

"Hi," he grinned.

Blair smirked. She rolled onto her side and rested her head against his chest.

"You're showering before dinner," she muttered.


	4. Serena - Salt

**Salt**

Serena bit her pencil as she read the line in her textbook over again.

_Salt: any of a class of compounds formed by the replacement of one or more hydrogen atoms of an acid with elements or groups, which are composed of anions and cations, and which usually ionize in solution; a product formed by the neutralization of an acid by a base…_

The elevator door opened. She smelt Chinese. When she raised her head, Nate stood in front of her kitchen table with a bag of greasy take-out in his hand. She spotted the bags under his eyes from here, but his smile was catchy.

"I thought you worked late," she said, taking the pencil away from her mouth.

Nate shrugged. "You're better company." He planted a kiss on her forehead before heading to the kitchen to grab some plates.

"Where's your mom and Eric?"

The blonde pulled her hair back into a ponytail, leaving her chemistry homework forgotten before her. "Mom's in China with Blair's mother and I think Eric went over to his boyfriend's for the weekend."

"And they left you here to suffer alone? For shame," he teased. Serena stuck her tongue out at him. The aroma of fresh food hovered in the kitchen, making her stomach gurgle. She fixed the sleeves on her button-up and waited for Nate to bring over the treats.

They sat at the table together, Nate attempting to read her textbook upside down while Serena crammed a fork full of noodles into her mouth.

"Why do you have to take chemistry if you want to paint?"

"Because I need a science credit, and I was good at chemistry in high school."

"Didn't Dan help out with that?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "He helped with English. Get your facts straight," she teased.

Her original plan was to get her mother to open a gallery for her recent influx of paintings. But when the senior van der Woodsen declined, Serena decided a degree might persuade her mother. So far, the plan was working.

Nate drew her out of her stupor with a nudge of her foot underneath the table. "Do you need me to pick up anything for the weekend?"

She squinted, trying to remember what he was talking about.

"We're going to the Hamptons, remember? With my parents?"

Serena winced. "Crap, I forgot. Is it okay if I bring my books and stuff? I've got a midterm on Tuesday and if I fail I am screwed."

Nate nodded. He grabbed her textbook and read a few pages just as they finished dinner.

"Need help studying?"

Serena tossed him the cue cards with a grin. "Start writing."


	5. Dan - Clip

**Clip**

Dan leaned back against the vanity, trying to adjust his long legs so they weren't squished by the tub in front of him.

"If you keep moving, you're going to look like Van Gough," Blair chided whilst snipping a lock of his curly hair.

"You realize they have hair dressers for a reason, right?"

Dan received a long, drawn out glare for that one.

The Brooklyn night life played on outside Dan's flat. When he invited Blair over for a movie night, he didn't think he would end up getting a haircut, but as his lady love so eloquently put it, "you look like a muppet."

Okay, so maybe he had been lacking in the looks department lately. With the pressure to put out a new book, it was easy to forget about things like shaving and going to the barber. Blair had been in Paris for the past week with her mother, and when she came over she decided this was more important than watching a movie.

"Are you at least letting me keep my curls?"

"Your lack of faith in me is astounding." She withdrew her scissors. "Check it out in the mirror, oh yee of little faith."

Dan pushed himself off the toilet, leaving Blair to sit on the vanity in one of his shirts. His eyes widened as he got a look at her handy work.

"Wow. You're . . . you're really good." He chuckled. His curls were prominent but shorter, tighter than before. He ran his hand through them and liked how soft they felt. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Guess I shouldn't have complained, huh?"

Blair shook her head with a smile. "Guess not." She received his kiss with eagerness, wrapping her arms around his neck loosely. When the need for air became desperate, he drew back, resting his forehead against hers.

"I'll go order the pizza. You pick out the movie?"

Blair nodded, pecking his cheek before sliding off the vanity. Dan stared at the bathroom tiles covered in his curls. He'd clean it up before his father got home.


	6. Serena - Bread

**Author's Note:** To clarify, Chuck is my least favourite character in the series. He is abusive, sexist, and unapologetic in his cruel treatment to people. However, he is human and he was raised to be this way. Think of his father, his uncle. It didn't happen by accident. I am not trying to erase what he did, but I hope this prompt shows that he is a person with feelings, however hidden.

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**Bread**

_Is he there yet?_ Blair texted Serena.

The blonde huffed under her breath as she sat at the little table in the bakery. _No,_ she replied. _I never should have told you about this._

_You shouldn't have_, Blair replied not even half a minute later. Serena stuffed her phone in her pocket. The cold, January air was creeping in and she wondered why she let Chuck drag her from bed on a Sunday morning. She should have turned her phone on silent. She wondered what Nate was up to.

The little bell dinged and when the Upper East Side girl looked up, there was her step-brother. She wished her mother didn't pity the young man like she did. Serena would rather not associate with Chuck at family dinners, but as her mother said, "he has no one else." Besides the various girls he was seen with across town, of course.

Chuck sat down without much presentation. He glanced at the menu behind Serena's head, letting her stare at him. He was clean shaven and smelled like his father's cologne. In a dark suit and long trench cloak, he almost looked like his uncle Jack.

"What do you want?" she asked, after waiting a full minute for him to say something.

Chuck met her stare with his hands stuffed in his pockets. "How are you?"

She squinted. "I'm fine." She leaned back in the iron rout chair. "How are you?"

Chuck never let anyone see him weak, but as he sat across from Serena, she saw his mask crack. "I'm lonely. I've become," he lip curled back in a sneer, "Lonely Boy."

Tossing aside the Gossip Girl nickname for Dan, Serena rested her head on her raised hand. "And so you thought you would call me at eight on a Sunday?"

He shrugged. "No one would return my calls."

"There's a reason for that," she said quietly.

Chuck nodded. "There is, and I deserve that. But Serena-"

"But nothing, Chuck. You've treated all of us like crap. You manipulated us and used us. You hurt Blair. She didn't deserve that."

Chuck exhaled through his nose sharply. "I know."

Serena folded her arms across her chest. "She's not going to forgive you."

"I don't expect her to."

"Then what _do _you want?"

"I want," Chuck paused as he licked his lips. "I want my friends back. I want it to be like the good old days. When it was just you, Blair, Nate, and I, facing the world together. Don't you miss that?"

Serena thought back to her high school days, to her childhood, to Nate when he was still Blair's boy. She shook her head. "You have to grow up, Chuck. This is how it is now." She pushed back her chair and grabbed the bag of fresh bread underneath her chair. "I'm sorry."

The bell clinked on her way out. She hoped Nate would like fresh bread for breakfast.


	7. Blair - Fish

**Fish**

Dan cast out his line into the lake. Blair leaned against his shoulder, her line bobbing in the small ripples. She heard the backdoor slam and hoped it wasn't her mother come to interrupt her daughter's reprieve from an abundance of outings.

Dan's scruff tickled the top of her head. His flannel apparel was soft against her cheek. She secretly wished he wore it more often.

"Dan dear, your father is on the phone. Something about your agent leaving a message," Blair's mother called.

The Brooklyn boy and East Side girl groaned in unison. "I thought you told him you were going away for the weekend?"

"I did," Dan sighed. "Apparently he doesn't take no for an answer." He handed her the line. "I'll be right back," he promised. She watched him jog off to the rustic cabin, his jeans dappled with morning dew. Blair turned back to the lake, expecting to be alone. Eleanor Waldorf decided against it. She carefully plucked Dan's line from her daughter's hand and held it in her own. Blair raised an eyebrow. Her mother was still in her silk robe and slippers.

"I didn't know you fished," the daughter commented.

Eleanor chuckled. "Your father's love of boating made me a fast learner."

Blair nodded. That was how she came to know the art of casting a line. She hadn't seen her father and his husband in some time. Blair wondered when she could go and visit him next.

"How are you feeling, dear?"

Blair exhaled. "I'm fine, Mother."

"Good, good. I just wanted to make sure." Eleanor's rod bobbed up and down. "Serena didn't happen to tell you what Chuck wanted, did she?"

"I asked her not to," Blair said quietly. She ignored Chuck's phone call at 7:42 that same morning he met with Serena. She didn't manage to fall back asleep after that. At 9:03, she grew desperate for a distraction from her thoughts. Dan brought _Breakfast at Tiffany's_.

Eleanor nodded. "Is there anything I can do, Blair?"

The young lady stared at the sun. "Can you go back in time and make it so I never loved Chuck at all? Or that I never even met him?"

Her mother smiled. "Unfortunately, I don't have those kinds of connections." She reeled in the line then cast again. "In a strange sort of way, I think we have Chuck to thank for you and Dan finally getting together."

Blair blushed. "I'd rather not, thank you."

Eleanor chuckled. "I'll be happy to have him as a son-in-law one day."

"Mother!"

The back door opened again. "Cyrus made pancakes!" Dan called. When Blair looked back, he was leaning against the door, hands stuffed in his pockets. One of his curls hung in front of his eyes and when he saw her staring, he smiled through his blush. Her mother grabbed the rod from her daughter's hand and got up.

"Coming!" Blair replied.


	8. Nate - Race

**Race**

Nate nudged his go-cart against Serena's, sending the girl spinning for a brief second.

"Cheater!" she shouted after him as the sun beat down on her.

The young man laughed. "It's called playing the game, hun," he teased.

As Nate attempted to make his last lap, Dan came up beside him with Blair as his passenger. She stuck her tongue out at her ex-boyfriend as they passed Nate at the last second. The buzzer went off and Blair squealed in delight.

Serena came up beside Nate's go-cart and chuckled at her best friend. "Good job, Blair."

The fashionista grinned. "A Waldorf never loses."

"I believe Dan won, not you, Blair," Nate teased.

Blair's eyes narrowed. "Are you suggesting I won because Dan was driving?"

Serena sighed. "Nate," she warned.

Nate took off the red helmet and gave a nod. "I know how you are behind a wheel, Waldorf."

Blair got out of the black go-cart and tugged on Dan's arm. "Rematch. I'm driving."

Dan groaned. "Blair . . ."

"Out."

Her boyfriend sighed and did as he was told, settling in the passenger's seat with great reluctance. Blair strapped herself in and urged the car forward to the starting line. Nate could feel Serena's glare against his back, but he couldn't help it. Blair loved a challenge, and she hated to lose. He didn't often get a chance to rile her up like this.

The race started again and for about half of it, Serena was leading. Nate was on her heels with Blair right beside him. Dan caught Nate's eye and smirked with a shake of his head. He hoped for Dan's sake Serena won. If Nate did, he could see Blair getting snippy.

With a last punch on the gas, he shot ahead, but not enough. Blair was riding his side and with a picture-perfect finish, her nose crossed the finish line just ahead of his. As soon as the car pulled to a stop, Blair jumped out and did her happy dance (mainly consisting of her clapping her hands and spinning around in circles).

Nate rolled his eyes with a smile. "Congrats, Blair."

"Yeah, good job," Serena giggled.

Blair took a modest bow. "Thank you, thank you. As a treat to my competitors, I say we get some frozen yogurt. My treat."

Dan came up beside his girlfriend and wrapped an arm around her waist. "As long as there's coffee involved, I'm happy."

Nate smirked as the two bickered about Dan's addiction to the stuff. He didn't realize Serena was at his side until she pecked his cheek. "You let her win, didn't you?" He placed a finger to his lips and told her to hush.

"We get free food. Let's not complain," he teased. Serena leaned her head against his shoulder before the group of four departed the race track.


	9. Dan - Poor

**Poor**

Dan stared at the ceiling of Blair's bedroom. He had memorized every ceiling tile since they began dating and it was hard not to fall into that pattern as he fell asleep. Except he didn't feel like sleeping tonight.

_"Do they all live here like this?"_

_ The director nodded as she led Dan through the rows of beds. "Yes. We try to give the older children more private rooms, but it's difficult with the limited space we have. The kitchen's down the hall. Now, what did you say you were here for again?"_

_ "Inspiration."_

The topic of his latest book had taken a turn. The idea of telling the story of a little girl who lived in an orphanage appealed to him. He thought he could do a new version of "Annie," except more modern. But when he got to the orphanage, his idea changed.

Most of the children there came from places where children should never be raised. Fathers who beat their mothers, mothers who drank to deal with the pain, older siblings who sold drugs to keep themselves alive littered the lives of the children Dan saw that day.

And yet they all smiled at him when he walked by. They played together with the minimal amount of toys, made up stories together . . . he saw some participating in an art class. At one point, the director had to take a call, leaving Dan alone in the main play area. He sat down beside a group of children playing Go Fish. They dealt him in without question.

During the game, he ended up mentioning he was a writer. A boy of eight said he was too and pulled out scraps of paper he saved from art class. Dan read over a few lines and was impressed. For eight, the kid was pretty good.

When the director came back, Dan let her lead him to the door.

"_Would it be possible for me to teach a writing class here?"_

The idea delighted the director, and while Dan had yet to tell Blair of his idea, he thought it was much better than trying to write a story about an Annie-like girl, especially after what he had witnessed that day.

Blair rolled onto her side, curling up against Dan's chest underneath the thick comforter.

"Blair," he said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"I'd like to adopt a kid someday."

Blair sighed, eyes still shut. "A little girl. Older maybe," she suggested.

Dan nodded. "Or a boy."

Blair didn't answer. By her heavy breathing, he guessed she was asleep. Dan shut his eyes and followed her lead.


	10. Serena - Rich

**Rich**

Serena propped her feet up on an empty chair as she read her art history textbook. She cursed herself for letting Nate distract her with a dinner date. Then again, it was payback for all the times she made him miss/be late for work.

A group of girls giggled in the row before Serena's. She looked over to see they were on the Gossip Girl website. Serena internally groaned and focused back on the book.

College students had better things to do than worry about what someone on the internet said about someone from the Upper East Side. That knowledge gave Serena a sense of relief.

The girls in front of Serena were freshmen like her, except younger by a few years and unaccustomed to Gossip Girl, it seemed.

"Find out what she has on Nate Archibald," one said.

Serena raised her book higher to hide her smile. Going into Gossip Girl's archives wasn't something Serena did often, unless she wanted to reminisce on old memories captured by a much more accurate Gossip Girl.

She heard her classmates swoon over Nate, pity the situation he got into because of his father, and curse Blair when she cheated on Nate with Chuck. Serena wondered when they would get to the part about him and Serena.

When she enrolled in college, Serena made the point of keeping her affluence a secret from any new friends she acquired. She realized not all were as lucky as she to have a mother who married rich, and she didn't want the girls (and guys) she befriended to see her differently, or to try and use her for her money. It had happened once, and it ended in Nate threatening to call the cops of the friend.

She doubted these girls in her art history class knew just how loaded she was, and she wanted to keep it that way.

The giggling stopped. Serena looked up to see the girls staring at her with a picture of Nate and Serena kissing on the computer screen.

Before they could question her about Nate, the professor walked in and pulled up the PowerPoint for the day. Throughout class, she caught the girls sneaking glances at her in between note taking and Gossip Girl stalking. Once it was over, she grabbed her things and headed for the door. Serena heard them behind her.

"Do you think she still does drugs?"

"I wonder how Nate puts up with her."

"She should get some help."

Serena's eyes narrowed. She pulled out her phone and called Nate. "Hi Nate, how are you? Oh I'm fine, just listening to some girls talk about me. They think I still do drugs. Isn't that funny? I know, so shallow. They should really learn some manners. I'll stop by the office. We can go to lunch. Love you." She clicked it off then headed out of the hallway, feeling a little more satisfied than before.


	11. Blair - Name

**Name**

"Thank you. That will be all." Blair looked down at her sheet of paper with a list of names, making a tick beside it. The young blonde, looking like a younger version of Serena, bobbed her head and left the empty dance studio. Once she was gone, Blair leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"You would think she could have mastered a runway walk by nineteen," she muttered.

Dan shrugged. "She read her lines well. I like her for the best friend."

Blair squinted at her boyfriend. "You think she is capable of handling the character of Sabrina? Really?"

Dan nodded. "She has Serena's spirit which inspired Sabrina. Plus she's a dead ringer in the looks department."

Blair rolled her eyes. "Oh please, I could read those lines with more enthusiasm than that." She shook her head. "Next!"

The next girl's walk was perfect. Blair admired her skin tone, which would contrast nicely with the clothing. Eleanor was inspired by purples this season, and the girl's olive palette worked wonderfully with that. When it came to reading lines, she had a slight accent to start.

Dan cleared his throat. "Eliza, you're from Australia, right?"

She nodded. "My father grew up there. Mum's from New Zealand."

Dan smiled. "Very nice. Could you try it again, from the beginning?"

When Eliza was done, Dan thanked her then said he would let her know. Blair starred the girl's name. "She's perfect. I want her."

"I like her for Claire," Dan admitted.

Blair raised an eyebrow. "Really? You think she's the one?"

"Did you hear her, Blair? That accent is perfect. I mean, she's sophisticated like you. Her walk is great. She's-"

"Alright, alright, enough! Just remember, you're not dating her." Blair placed her finger under his chin and leaned over, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

When they parted, Blair glanced at her sheet. "Twenty models should be enough. I'll give Mother the sheet and if she wants another casting call, we can book it here again."

Dan agreed. "Do you want to help me find Dylan, Derek, and Charlie later this week?"

"Of course. We can't let you make all the decisions," she teased. They gathered their papers and left the dance studio hand in hand.


	12. Nate - Vault

**Vault**

Nate fished out the key from his coat pocket and unlocked the heavy, steel door. It slammed shut behind him, leaving the sound to echo off the walls. He stood in the metal room alone with rows of locked boxes staring back at him.

He wished he didn't have to come down here. He hated how this place smelled of his father's mistakes. Nate walked forward and pulled out another key. The long, silver box came out in his arms, cradled in his arms. Nate walked to the square table and placed it on the surface. He shoved back the top, letting it roll back until the objects inside it winked at him. He swallowed.

A picture of he and his father was in there, crinkled from time. Nate picked it up by a weathered corner and stared at his smiling face. They went to the zoo that day. His dad bought him ice cream. He still remembered how his teeth froze from the abundance of strawberry.

He stuffed the picture back in the container then dug deeper. Nate came across his grandmother's pearls, an old sketch of his family's crest, a wad of bills, and finally, the item he desired. Nate cupped his mother's engagement ring in his hand. It was a deep sapphire stone set in gold with little leaf etchings surrounding the stone. He remembered driving his mother to the vault the day she put these keep sakes in here.

"For safe keeping," she said. From what danger, he didn't understand then. When she took off the ring and placed it inside, he questioned her. Why would she put her favourite ring away like this? She didn't answer. She didn't need to.

Now, Nate placed the ring in his pocket. His cell phone went off.

_Did you find it?_

"Yes Mom, it's where you kept it."

His mother sighed. _Oh good. I hope it still looks alright. Do you need to take it to the jeweler's first? Will it fit her?_

Nate rolled his eyes. "It will be just fine, Mom. You don't need to worry."

_Who's worried? I just want to make sure everything goes just right. I didn't think you would even ask to-_

"Mom!" he laughed. "Stop. It'll be fine." _I hope._

_ I know it will, sweetie. I'll let you go. Buy some flowers!_

"Yes, Mother," he sighed.

Nate hung up then pulled the ring out again. He saw Serena's eyes staring up at him in that stone. Trying not to break his face as he grinned, Nate left the vault for Serena's. Maybe flowers _would_ be a good idea.


	13. Blair - Crime

**Crime**

Blair handed Serena a pillow for her head as the blonde sprawled out on the queen-sized mattress. "Is it a crime to say no when someone proposes?" Serena asked.

Blair rolled up the sleeves on her silk robe and shook her head. "I've never heard anyone be convicted of it."

"Then why do I feel like a piece of crap?"

"Because it's Nate and you love him?"

The girls had been having this back and forth exchange since Serena burst into Blair's home an hour before. She was babbling about rings and Nate and between gasps for air, Blair pieced the "catastrophe" together.

Blair remembered that ring. When Serena described it, Blair remembered how, at one time, it was going to be hers. Nate's mother took her to the vault and tried it on the girl's finger.

"A perfect fit," Mrs. Archibald pronounced. Unlike Nate and Blair, it seemed. She shook her head and focused back on Serena. It wasn't like Blair had been doing much before her best friend dropped in. With her hair still curled in a messy bun, pinned back with an amber kerchief, the early evening held nothing of excitement for Blair, besides guiding Serena through this crisis.  
"I do love him. I just don't know if I should marry him," Serena admitted under her breath.

"What are you afraid will happen if you get married?" Blair asked, rolling onto her side as she half-laid on a pillow.

Serena stared up at the ceiling as her eyes watered. "That I'll become my mother."

Blair never held the highest regard for Mrs. Van der Woodsen. Neither did Eleanor. The Waldorf women were of the conviction that the elder Woodsen spent too much time chasing husbands instead of raising her children. Blair had known for a long time Serena despised how her mother behaved with men. While Blair knew Serena could never, would never, turn into Mrs. V, it was obvious to anyone paying attention that fear for Serena was always present when she thought of marriage.

"That's not possible, S. You'd never do half the things your mom did to your various step-dads." Blair reached over and held tight to the girl's hand. "Nate is crazy about you. Don't let him go."

Serena sniffed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm just really scared, you know?"

Blair nodded. "I know. I mean, I'm not the best example for marriages working out. Remember Louis? I married the guy and look how that turned out."

"But you had Dan. You always had him."

Blair agreed. She was very lucky. Sometimes her heart still stopped mid-beat when she woke in the middle of the night, thinking it was Louis in bed beside her and not Dan.

"Has he asked you yet?"

Blair shook her head. They talked about it once, around Christmas time last year. She was adamant that if she married again, she didn't want it to be for a long time. Dan agreed.

Serena pushed herself off the bed and grabbed her phone. "Nate will be at work. I'll go make dinner. Maybe then he'll forgive me."

Blair watched her friend head to the door then followed her out. "What are you going to tell him?"

Serena shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe cooking will give me the answer."

Blair kissed her friend's cheeks then watched from the staircase as the blonde exited the loft, hoping the answer she gave was the right one.


	14. Nate - Photograph

**Photograph**

Nate thought it would be a picture-perfect moment. He got down on one knee, pulled out the ring, and she said . . . she said . . .

Nothing. Her face blanked and she said nothing. He waited and waited, but she couldn't say a thing. Or didn't want to. That walk of shame out of her place was the hardest one he ever had to take, next to the one he made when he found out Blair and Chuck slept together.

The worst part was he had to go to work and act like nothing happened, like there wasn't a ring weighing down his suit pocket. Like he hadn't just proposed to the woman he loved and been turned down. He wanted to call his mother, but he didn't want to upset her. She had been so sure Serena would say yes, everyone had. Well, everyone he told, which was his mother and grandmother. Once he got to his office, he locked the door and sat in the leather seat. He called Dan.

_Humphrey speaking._

"Hey Dan, it's uh, it's Nate. Am I interrupting anything?"

_Other than me refilling my mug and another round of editing, no, why?_

"I just," he sighed. "I fucked up."

_What'd you do, propose to Serena?_ Dan chuckled.

"Uh, yeah."

Silence. _Oh. Shit. Uh, well, what did she say?_

"Nothing."

_Nothing?_

Nate nodded. "She just ran out. I don't know where she went. I mean, how did it all go so wrong? Why did I think proposing was a good idea?"

He heard Dan recline in his leather seat. _Because you love her, you idiot. There's nothing wrong proposing to the girl you love._

"Except when she says no."

_She didn't actually say no. You scared her, Nate, that's all._

Nate snorted. "That's all?"

Dan sighed. _Okay, so it's a bit of a big deal. But come on, you must have understood that would happen. I mean, it's Serena. Think of her mother. Don't you remember how many marriages that woman has been through? _

Nate hadn't thought of that. "Shit. I really screwed up, didn't I?"

_Kind of. But at least you understand now. Sorry to cut this short, but I've got to get back to work. Look, don't worry about things with Serena. Just talk to her. You can make it work._

Nate thanked Dan then hung up. Later, when he was sticking his key in the doorknob, he smelt his mother's chili. Nate opened the door to find Serena at his stove taste-testing the food. He dropped his briefcase at his feet.

"Hi," Serena said quietly. Nate greeted her in return then sat at the tiny table across from the stove. She sat across from him, kneading her lip with her teeth. Nate reached over the surface and placed his hand over hers.

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "Don't be. I'm the one who ran off like that."

Nate shrugged. "I should have thought it through more. I just . . . I love you, Serena. A part of me always has, since we were kids. I don't want to waste any more time not being with you, like we did in high school. I understand if you don't want to get married, though. I'm going to be with you, no matter what."

Serena smiled, placing her other hand over his. "Thanks for understanding, Nate. I don't think I'll never want to get married, though. Would you be open to an exceptionally long engagement?"

Nate grinned. "I think I could be, especially with that chili you've got cooking."

Serena laughed. "I knew that would win you over."


	15. Dan - Quill

**Quill**

To Dan Humphrey, there was nothing sexier than a finely crafted quill. Except Blair Waldorf, but that was obvious. When Dan got home from his long day in front of a blank work document, he found Blair's loft astonishingly quiet. The Waldorf ladies must be out. He hung his jacket up in the closet and attempted to fix his messy curls as he made his way to the beer awaiting him in the fridge

On the kitchen counter sat a vanilla envelope with Dan's name written in cursive. He squinted at it, at first thinking it was printed ink, but he noticed the ink dots splattered near the end of his name. That was when he saw the quill.

A long, speckled feather faced the young writer. Dan grinned and popped open the envelope. He pulled out a hand written letter in Blair's tight cursive.

_ Dan Humphrey's presence is requested in the walk-in closet. Proceed post haste with two alcoholic beverages._

Dan smirked and pocketed the letter in his jeans. He swung open the fridge and headed up the staircase with the beers he was "requested" to bring.

Blair had a tendency to do her best thinking in the closet. Dan rarely treaded there, lest he disturb her thinking. When he opened the white doors, he was greeted with massive photos of the interior of an apartment. Dan squinted at the blown-up pictures and recognized the brick walls. He walked by them every day on his way to the subway.

"Why are there pictures of Overgrown Estates in your closet?"

Blair, whose back was previously to her boyfriend, tilted her head back towards him. "I've been perusing the area and thought it was the best option." She walked over to one of the photos of a smaller bedroom. There were three windows on the dark brick walls. Dan liked the dark, hardwood floor. "I was thinking this would be a great office space. You know, with the lighting." Blair turned on her heel to another photo of a kitchen full of older appliances. "I'll need to pick up more cooking skills of course, and some of these appliances will have to be updated, but the cost is worth it."

Dan nodded. "So your mother is finally letting you move out?"

"Providing I have a roommate, yes. She's not excited about the location, but come on, look at it! It's perfect," she smiled.

Dan stood beside her, staring at the kitchen. It reminded him a lot of his. Personally, he liked the older appliances. "Did Serena say yes?"

Blair shook her head. "While I love Serena, I don't think we could live together. We'd end up hating each other."

"True." Dan smirked just thinking about Blair's eclectic flair mixing with Serena's sunny disposition. "So who are you asking, then?"

Blair rolled her eyes. "Do I have to spell it out, Humphrey?"

It took a few seconds for Dan's tired brain to piece it together. "I like that stove," he said, crossing his arms.

Blair snorted. "Then you can cook on it."

"Deal." He bent down and pecked her cheek. Blair snatched one of his hands and intertwined their fingers. _For a first apartment, it's pretty damn good._


	16. Serena - Punch

Lily Van Der Woodsen didn't need much of an excuse to throw a party. Serena shouldn't have been surprised when she came home to Lily with curlers in her hair telling the cook to make more crab cakes. Serena dropped her shopping bags at her feet. "What's all this?" she waved her hand, motioning to the sign that said "congratulations."

Her mother grinned. "It's your engagement party, dear! What else would it be?"

Serena crossed her arms. "But we're not getting married for a long time. Why throw it now?"

"Haven't you seen the society pages? Everyone's talking about it." Lily reached onto the counter and handed a wrinkled copy to her daughter. "See for yourself."

_VAN DER-ARCHBALD ENGAGEMENT_ read the headline. A picture of Nate and Serena leaving their favourite restaurant was underneath. Apparently, a "reliable source" said Nate proposed and Serena agreed – all true – but that the two were getting married in the spring. Serena scrunched up her nose.

"What's the point of getting engaged if you can't celebrate? Now go on upstairs and get changed. Guests will be arriving in an hour!"

Serena sighed as she grabbed her bags. She'd much rather go have a long soak in the tub. As she headed up the stairs, she thought of Nate. Serena wondered if he'd be willing to ditch.

Once inside her room, Serena shoved her bags in the closet and saw a white dress sparkling with diamonds in flower patterns lay across her bed. The shirt was short and the sleeves cut off at her elbows. At least it was pretty. She pulled out her phone and punched in Nate's speed dial.

"I'm sorry for my mom."

Nate chuckled. _How bad is it over there?_

Serena groaned as she flopped on her bed, trying to avoid the dress. "You know what we should do? We should catch a plane to Miami until everyone forgets about that stupid tabloid article."

_I'm pretty sure everyone in Miami knows too, hun._

Serena sighed. "You're supposed to be encouraging."

_I am! I don't care if everyone knows we're getting married. Do you?_

"I'd rather they didn't say we were getting married in the spring."

_Look, it's going to be fine, Serena. Tonight we'll just answer all their little questions and drink lots of champagne. Then, we can go back to my place for popcorn or whatever else I have in my cupboards. Sound better?_

She smiled. "Much better. We should just skip the whole party thing and go straight to the popcorn."

Nate chuckled. _I'm pretty sure your mom wouldn't let us. I've got to pick up my suit from the cleaners. I'll be there soon. Love you._

"Love you more!" He hung up. Serena managed to get into her dress just as the first guests arrive. She stole a glass of punch off one of the server's trays and went to the elevator to find Dan and Blair.

"Serena!" Blair exclaimed, waving around the article. "Have you seen it?"

The blonde nodded, kissing Blair's cheeks, then hugged Dan. "According to them I'll have a spring wedding."

Dan shrugged. "It's not as bad as it could be. I mean, think of all the articles Blair and I have had about her being-"

"Shh! We don't talk about that. I don't want to jinx it." Blair glared at Dan. He leaned in to Serena's ear and whispered "pregnant," causing him to get hit with her black clutch purse.

"Anyway," Blair sighed, "at least we can celebrate your engagement."

Serena just nodded as she guzzled the spiked punch. The elevator dinged and Serena leapt forward to greet the individual. "Nate!" Thank God. He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up off the ground, chuckling.

"I told you I'd make it."

"Serena, is that Nate? Come over here, I want to get a picture of you two!"

She groaned against Nate's chest. _Time to play my mother's game._


End file.
